Falcons Fall to Broncos in Midweek Twinbill

Wednesday, March 29

Bowling Green, OH

11:30 AM

Bowling Green State University

Western Michigan

Ashley Chevalier v Ohio State - Sept 25 2022

Photo by: Daniel Carlson, BGSU Athletics

March 29, 2023 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

BGSU will be back in action at Buffalo this weekend

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University softball team dropped a pair of games to Western Michigan University at a blustery Meserve Field on Wednesday (March 29), falling by scores of 7-0 and 10-1.

Both games were scoreless for two innings, before the Broncos (9-12, 3-0 Mid-American Conference) took the lead in the third. And, WMU used a big inning late in each game to pull away from the Falcons (8-21, 1-8 MAC).

Reagan Williamson had a hit in each game for the Orange and Brown, with Peyton Dolejs going 2-for-3 with a double in the opener.

That first game saw Sydney Stepp allow only a pair of unearned runs through the first five innings, before a myriad of perfectly-placed Bronco hits led to a crooked number on the scoreboard in the sixth.

BGSU-WMU GAME ONE – HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Falcons were unable to capitalize on a first-inning scoring opportunity in the opening game. After the top of the inning ended with catcher Madison Lenig throwing out a would-be Bronco basestealer, BGSU loaded the bases in the home half of the first.
• Makailah Dees began the inning with a single, and Sophie Weber's one-out hit put two runners aboard. Maycee Godbolt singled to left, but Dees was cut down at the plate on the play.
• Reagan Williamson followed with a walk that loaded the bases, and WMU went to the bullpen, as Rissa Bajusz replaced Autumn Godwin in the circle. She was able to strike out the next BG batter to end the inning.
• BGSU starter Sydney Stepp blanked the Broncos in the second, and retired the first two hitters of the third inning before Alyssa Kramer singled and continued to second on a throwing error. Then, Payton Kelly hit a fly ball that was dropped to allow an unearned run to score.
• In the fourth inning, Cassidy Brendtke hit a blooper that landed just inside the line in right for a leadoff double. She took third on a sacrifice bunt, then scored when Haleigh Smith reached on an error.
• Stepp allowed four hits over the first four innings, with those four hits including a nubber that went approximately 10 feet, a slow roller toward third and the Brendtke blooper that went for a double.
• In the fifth, Addison Hudson drew a leadoff walk, and Kramer followed with a single to left. But, a nifty pick by Godbolt at first base resulted in an out, and Peyton Dolejs ran a long way and battled the wind on a breezy day at Meserve, catching a ball in very shallow center for the third out.
• But, the Broncos saw everything go their way in the sixth. Both Brendtke and Haley Boxwell singled, with both hits just eluding the BG fielders on the left side of the infield. Smith laid down a bunt toward the left side, and third baseman Weber waited to see if the ball would roll foul. Unfortunately for the Falcons, the slow roller stayed fair, and the bases were loaded with no outs.
• Riley Chumbley's single scored two runs, and one out later, Hudson's bloop double plated another. The Broncos would also get runs on a Kramer single and a Kelly sac fly, taking a 7-0 lead.
• Meanwhile, after coming into the game with two outs in the first, Bajusz allowed just three hits and faced only two batters over the minimum. She struck out 10 and did not walk a batter.
• Kramer was 4-for-4 at the plate in the opener, while Brendtke went 3-for-4 with two runs scored.

BGSU-WMU GAME TWO – HOW IT HAPPENED
• Madi Young, who pitched the final inning of the first game, drew the start for the Falcons in game two. She worked a pair of scoreless innings to begin the game, working a one-two-three frame in the second. But, Western got on the board in the third.
• That third inning saw Taylor Wolfe hit a leadoff triple to right, with Hudson following with a walk. Then, back-to-back infield grounders each scored a run.
• Smith doubled to begin the fourth, and Taylor Garey followed with a single that put runners at the corners with no outs. After a stolen base, a Wolfe sacrifice fly scored a run, and a Hudson grounder plated another. Then, the visitors scored six times in the fifth frame.
• A walk and a BG error began the inning. Reliever Scarlet Anderson struck out Madison Duell, but on a Smith fielder's choice, everyone was safe due to a BG error, with a run scoring on the play.
• Then, after a walk to Garey, Wolfe also walked, prompting a Falcon pitching change. Hudson's single up the middle scored two runs, though, and additional Bronco runs would score on a Kramer groundout and a Kelly single.
• Meanwhile, Bajusz took a perfect game into the fifth inning, before Williamson's one-out single put a BG runner aboard. And, Katie Hutter's double to left-center scored pinch-runner Hannah Hunt. But, it was not enough as Bajusz got a fly ball from each of the next two batters. closing out the complete-game win.
• Bajusz allowed just one run and two hits in the win. She struck out three without walking a batter. At the plate, Hudson was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBI. Wolfe was 1-for-1 with a walk, two runs and two RBI.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons head to Western New York this weekend, for a three-game series vs. Buffalo. BGSU will battle the Bulls in a Saturday (April 1) doubleheader, beginning at 1:00 p.m., followed by a Sunday (April 2) single game starting at noon.

FOLLOW THE FALCONS
• For more information on BGSU softball, follow the Falcons on Twitter (@BGAthletics and @BGSUSoftball) and Instagram (@bgsu_softball) as well as on the web right here at BGSUFalcons.com.